‘Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion’ trumps ‘Epic Mickey 2’ in hype, with side-scrolling 16-bit style graphics for Nintendo 3DS

in Disney, Entertainment, Merchandise, Video Games

The recent announcement of “Epic Mickey 2” may have gotten all the buzz, but today’s reveal of “Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion” has retro gamers particularly excited, offering a side-scrolling adventure game with Super Nintendo-era graphics – but in 3D.

“Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion” will be the first Nintendo 3DS title in the “Disney Epic Mickey” franchise and will feature an interactive combination of painting, dual screen integration and 3D transformation capabilities within in the world of Wasteland. A “special drawing and painting function” will allow players to transform what they draw into classic Disney-style 2D illustrations and ultimately full-color, fully-rendered 3D visuals.

Check out the wonderful 16-bit style screenshots from the new game, featuring characters like Beast, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and my personal favorite Scrooge McDuck, looking quite similar to how he appeared in the much-beloved 8-bit “DuckTales” NES games.


3D SCREENSHOTS

If you have a Nintendo 3DS, don’t bother with the 2D versions below. Instead, point your 3DS web browser to InsideTheMagic.net/em3d and see nine 3D screenshots from “Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion,” depicting how these classic sprite-based graphics are mixed with today’s 3D technology.


And if that doesn’t have you geeking out enough, check out the dazzling concept art for a few of the “Power of Illusion” levels, including a few inspired by “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Tangled”:

(Click to enlarge)

The classic Sega Genesis title “Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse” is the basis for the look of “Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion,” which takes place within said Castle of Illusion, now fallen into the same Wasteland that was the setting for the first “Epic Mickey” and will reunite Mickey Mouse with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in “Epic Mickey 2” for Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii.

But in the version of Wasteland seen in “Power of Illusion,” years of forgotten video games take a starring role, with the evil witch Mizrabel, the villainess from the classic “Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse,” once again taking the spotlight.

“The original ‘Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse’ changed the face of video gaming by allowing players to play as Mickey Mouse in a side-scrolling adventure full of dynamic environments,” said Warren Spector, vice president and creative director, Junction Point. “We’re honored to be able to pay tribute to this classic video game by creating a title that truly takes advantage of the unique capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS, putting the magic of Disney and the historic Castle of Illusion in the palm of your hands.”

Epic Mickey 2

Of course, there’s plenty to be excited about with “Epic Mickey 2” as well. Notorious camera issues that plagued the original are reportedly being fixed for the new one, which will also not only feature the addition of voice acting (Frank Welker as the first-ever voice of Oswald!) but original songs presented as a musical too.

Since we don’t have a trailer for “Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion” quite yet, here’s a trailer for “Epic Mickey 2” in the meantime:

And a few screenshots:


“Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion” is scheduled to be released in fall 2012 on the Nintendo 3DS. It’s not available for pre-order yet, but “Epic Mickey 2” is on Amazon, available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii, due out on October 1, 2012.

More information about both games can be found at Disney.com/DisneyEpicMickey


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